Westward Expansion
The steamboat played an important role in America’s westward expansion. “Steamboats [were\ . . . instrumental in assisting in the exploration and settlement and the expansion of the American continent. Many explorers and family units would use this transportation on part of their journey west” (Howard). Moreover, “the transportation revolution in the United States had been spurred by the desire of the Easterners to tap into all that the west had to offer. . . . By 1860, more than one-half of the American population was located west of the Appalachian Mountains. . . . The Mississippi River and its tributaries provided a natural highway for western commerce. . . . [Steamboats\ stimulated the agricultural economy of the west by providing better access to markets at a lower cost. Farmers quickly bought land near navigable rivers, because they could now easily ship their produce out” (Aboukhadijeh). As such, westward expansion and economic growth were closely linked. Towns alongside rivers were successfully urbanized and commercialized. “Villages at strategic points along the waterways evolved into centers of commerce and urban life. In the 1830s and 1840s, the port of New Orleans grew to lead all others in exports. . . . The movement of goods over long distances to the various regions required a supporting infrastructure, which stimulated the growth of market towns where merchants, bankers, warehousemen, retailers, and other middlemen provided the services needed to move the goods from producers to consumers. More extensive markets increased competition, pushing manufacturers to produce better and cheaper products in order to capture a larger share of the market” (Aboukhadijeh).
The steamboat played an important role in America’s westward expansion. “Steamboats [were\ . . . instrumental in assisting in the exploration and settlement and the expansion of the American continent. Many explorers and family units would use this transportation on part of their journey west” (Howard). Moreover, “the transportation revolution in the United States had been spurred by the desire of the Easterners to tap into all that the west had to offer. . . . By 1860, more than one-half of the American population was located west of the Appalachian Mountains. . . . The Mississippi River and its tributaries provided a natural highway for western commerce. . . . [Steamboats\ stimulated the agricultural economy of the west by providing better access to markets at a lower cost. Farmers quickly bought land near navigable rivers, because they could now easily ship their produce out” (Aboukhadijeh). As such, westward expansion and economic growth were closely linked. Towns alongside rivers were successfully urbanized and commercialized. “Villages at strategic points along the waterways evolved into centers of commerce and urban life. In the 1830s and 1840s, the port of New Orleans grew to lead all others in exports. . . . The movement of goods over long distances to the various regions required a supporting infrastructure, which stimulated the growth of market towns where merchants, bankers, warehousemen, retailers, and other middlemen provided the services needed to move the goods from producers to consumers. More extensive markets increased competition, pushing manufacturers to produce better and cheaper products in order to capture a larger share of the market” (Aboukhadijeh).
Population Growth between 1800 and 1850 as a Result of Steamboat Expansion.
“Transportation innovations encouraged a new sense of connectedness among Americans, encouraging a deeper sense of nationalism. The transportation revolution pushed nineteenth-century America through the process of integrating an entire continent into a single cultural and economic entity” (Aboukhadijeh).